1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to reproducing a multimedia file, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method to check whether a user likes a multimedia file based on the user's emotional reaction index for the multimedia file and repeatedly reproducing the multimedia file if the user likes the multimedia file.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, it has become common to use portable multimedia file players that can reproduce digitally encoded audio files. That is, relatively small-sized handheld devices, which can process digitally encoded audio and video files stored in semiconductor memory devices, have become popular. Multimedia file players can be applied in various fields of MP3 players, portable multimedia players (PMPs), and mobile phones.
With the growing need for larger data storage capacity of portable multimedia file players, next-generation multimedia file players including small-sized and large-storage capacity hard drives have been developed and are gaining popularity.
While a user is listening to music using a portable multimedia file player, if a song that the user likes is played, the user may wish to repeatedly listen to the song. In contrast, if a song that the user dislikes is played, the user may wish to skip the song and listen to another song. In this case, the user himself or herself has to repeat or skip songs according to the user's preferences. In addition, if the user wishes to repeat a desired song endlessly, the user has to press a Play button whenever the desired song ends or has to set an endless repetition function for the desired song.
Korean Patent Publication No. 2006-055357 discloses an apparatus and method for reproducing music content and an apparatus for recording music content and attribute information of music content. That is, the above listed document discloses a technology that acquires music content data, which is to be reproduced, from a music content data memory unit storing a plurality of pieces of music content data, acquires biological information of a listener who is listening to the acquired music content data that is being reproduced, and determines candidate songs to be reproduced next based on the acquired biological information of the listener and attribute information acquired by a second acquisition unit. However, the prior art fails to suggest a technology that can repeat or skip a multimedia file based on whether a user likes or dislikes the multimedia file.